Unofficial letters of an official's wife [by] Edith Moses.

AN OFFICIAL'S WIFE

from one terrace to another, so that there is a constantly running stream through all the paddies. \Ve
looked off on a whole region of these terraced hills.
The miners' complaint that Igorrotes will not work
does not seem to be well founded, in this district at
least. We passed through one village where the
houses were substantially built of heavy timbers,
with a large loft for storing rice straw.
We did some rough riding, scrambling over stony
hillsides where the track was all but invisible. In
one narrow path the doctor's wife and I, who were
riding ahead, came upon our bete uoire-a catabao.
This time I determined to stand my ground, so, advancing slowly but firmly, I said " shoo " in a weak,
wavering tone, which would have betrayed my state
of mind to any beast but a carabao. Instead of
charging and goring us, as we almost expected, he
plunged down a steep bank to get out of our way.
We ate our luncheon on the roadside.
Although the morning had been warm and clear,
by noon the sky was overcast, and everything indicated an afternoon deluge, so we decided, as Tublai
was five miles away over an uphill trail, we would
better wait for a more propitious day. Before the
discussion had ended, and our decision was reached,
big drops of rain came pelting through the trees,
and everyone scrambled to saddle his horse and get
out his poncho. One wears a poncho to keep him
dry, but it is the most successful contrivance for get293